


Something New

by NachoDiablo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Coming Out, Getting Together, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NachoDiablo/pseuds/NachoDiablo
Summary: Written for Rarepair Prompt #251: Steve Rogers comes out to the Avengers about his sexuality. He wants to be out and maybe start dating. One of the Avengers has his eye, but they couldn’t like him back, could they?
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 23
Kudos: 74
Collections: Rare Pairs Events





	Something New

“Not hungry, Cap?”

Steve looked over at Clint with mild distaste. Clint’s question had been asked through the world’s biggest mouthful of shawarma, still being chewed.

“Kinda lost my appetite,” Steve said dryly.

Clint flashed a crumb-coated smile; Nat shoved a stack of napkins towards him.

“If you’re not into shawarma, I’m sure that guy would be happy to take you somewhere else,” Tony piped up, throwing a not-so-subtle nod towards the table in the far corner. “He’s been giving you the eye for the last fifteen minutes.”

A quick glance at the table in question showed a youngish man, with brown curls and a smattering of freckles, hunched over a basket of fries. His eyes met Steve’s, and he looked down quickly, blushing.

Steve felt his own face heat up as he turned back to his untouched plate. “Nah, I’m good,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, definitely not your type,” Tony mused.

Steve frowned. “How would you know what my type is?”

Tony waved a french fry at him. “I’m just figuring your type doesn’t include… you know.”

“Brunets?” Steve asked, annoyed. “I thought the whole world knew about me and Peggy.” 

“Yeah, and Peggy’s a woman.”

“Right,” Steve said slowly, “but that doesn’t matter to me.” 

By the number of raised eyebrows around the table, Steve gathered that this was new information. He slumped lower in his chair. “I didn’t realize this was news. Thought my whole life story had been picked over by now.”

Nat must have picked up on the bitterness that tinged his words. She patted his knee and gave him a reassuring smile. “I guess not everything made the history books.”

“And it doesn’t matter,” Bruce said with a quiet smile. “It’s your business.”

“We don’t care who you date, or don’t,” Tony agreed. “Live free, et cetera.”

“Yes, there are more pressing issues at hand,” Thor boomed. “Such as, are you intending to eat that pita or not?”

Steve pushed his plate over so Thor could pick up his uneaten sandwich. The rest of the team continued eating in silence.

~

Steve skidded to a halt in the doorway of Lab 437. He’d been fully prepared to complain about Tony rummaging through his SHIELD locker without permission. But it wasn’t Tony who stood at the work table. It was Rhodes-- or James, rather, as he’d asked to be addressed when they’d been introduced last week.

“Hi, James.” Steve held up one hand in greeting, then crossed his arms over his chest. “Is, uh, Tony here?”

“He’s not, thankfully.” James looked up and smiled at Steve, then focused back on the machinery laid out on the work table. “If he were here, I wouldn’t be getting anything done. Did you need him for something?”

“I need to yell at him,” Steve said without thinking. Immediately he winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

James laughed and shook his head. “Yeah, you did.”

“Yeah, I did,” Steve admitted sheepishly. “But I shouldn’t have said it. He’s your friend.”

“No worries,” James assured him. “I’ve known Tony long enough to know that he does, in fact, need to be yelled at pretty often. What’d he do this time?”

“He took my utility belt. Right out from my SHIELD locker, without asking. Said he was gonna upgrade it.”

“Sounds like him,” James said. “He means well, but he can be a lot.”

He looked down at his watch and furrowed his brow. “I don’t know what the deal is with your belt, but Tony should be back soon. You’re welcome to hang out until then.”

Steve watched as James went back to his work, fiddling a thin screwdriver in the crevices of a disassembled piece of machinery. James’ sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his forearm muscles twitched as his fingers worked with precision.

“You sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” James said. “I’d appreciate the company.” He smiled without looking up. Steve found himself smiling back.

And when Tony came by thirty minutes later, Steve was in too good a mood to yell at him after all.

~

“Hey, Jim.” Steve tried to be casual as he slid onto the stool next to James’ at the kitchen counter in Avengers tower. The nickname was a recent development, picked up after weeks of crossing paths and shared coffee breaks. Steve didn’t sleep much, and James kept odd hours when he visited Tony.

“Hey, Steve,” James greeted him in return. A plate of peeled clementine slices sat in front of him, and he pushed it towards Steve. “Help yourself.”

“Thanks.” Steve popped a segment in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. He watched James out of the corner of his eye. Apparently his stealth needed some work, because an amused smile appeared on James’ face.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked. “Looks like you want to ask me something. You might as well get it out.”

“It’s nothing,” Steve hedged. “Only, I heard you were moving this weekend.”

“Yeah, I am.” James raised an eyebrow questioningly. “I’ve been meaning to upgrade to a bigger place for a few years now. Why, are you thinking about doing the same?”

“Maybe,” Steve admitted. “Gets… cramped in here, sometimes.”

“I’m not sure a Manhattan apartment will feel any less cramped, but I get it.”

“Fury wants me down in D.C.,” Steve said. “Not sure if I’m going or not.”

“Oh, no worries then, that’ll be  _ much  _ more spacious. Affordable, too.”

Steve chuckled at James’ sarcasm. “Yeah, so I hear.”

“It’s not a bad city, though,” James added. “I’m there pretty often myself, for work. Even more so than usual, lately. Did you want to ask about neighborhood recs or something?”

The knowledge that he’d still see James even if he moved south cheered Steve, but he quickly remembered the reason he’d come over to talk.

“I actually wanted to ask about  _ your  _ move,” Steve said. He looked down at his hands, then back over at James. “Um, did you need any help? I’m free all weekend. If you’ve got heavy stuff, or...”

James looked amused. “I’ve got heavy stuff, but I’ve also got movers hired.”

“Right, of course.” Steve pushed his stool back and stood up. “Sorry, I should’ve realized.”

“Hold on a minute.” James rested a hand on Steve’s. “Help would be nice. Movers, they throw things through the front door and leave. It’d be nice to have an extra set of hands to get everything settled. If you’ve got the time to stick around.”

Steve looked down at James' hand against his. Warmth bloomed in his chest as he looked over and nodded. “Sure. I can stay as long as you want.”

~

Steve paced back and forth in front of James’ new apartment door. He paused to look down at his outfit. Khakis and a pale blue button down. Could he have picked a more boring outfit? And did the leather jacket match, or just make him look like a try-hard kid? Which of course he  _ was,  _ compared to someone like James, but--

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It didn’t matter what he was wearing. This wasn’t some big night out, it was two friends grabbing dinner to celebrate James finally being settled in his new place. It wasn’t a  _ date. _

Even if Steve wished it was.

Last week, once the movers had left and Steve had dutifully reshuffled all the boxes to their appropriate rooms, James had insisted that he stay for dinner. Steve had accepted, and they’d eaten takeout from the deli down the street. James had paid, and Steve had promised that he’d get the next one. 

Plans had been made, and now here Steve was, wearing out the swanky carpet in James’ fancy new building and wondering how he’d managed, yet again, to let romance slip through his fingers. He should have clarified that he wanted to take James out as more than friends. 

Then again, maybe it was better that he hadn’t asked. He and James weren’t even playing the same sport, let alone in the same league. James would let him down gently, Steve knew, but somehow that thought was even more painful than a blunt rejection.

Shoulders squared, Steve took another breath and knocked. James opened the door, dressed in creased grey slacks and dark blue jacket.

“I was wondering if you were ever going to knock,” he said with a smile. “I heard you shuffling around.”

Steve laughed and shook his head, embarrassed. “Sorry, I was just…”

“First date jitters?”

Steve tried not to let his jaw drop. He stared at James incredulously.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a while for me, too,” James continued, as though he hadn’t noticed Steve’s confusion. “But hey, no pressure.”

He locked the door behind him and slipped the keys into his pocket. “Alright, I’m ready.”

Steve smiled and reached out to clasp James’ hand. “I’m ready, too.”


End file.
